Free Piercing The Fold by Venessa Kimball Page A

capabilities.”
    My sly smile turns stiff quickly, remembering my own recently acquired capabilities.
    Ezra continues, “His physical strength increased as well. This prompted Sebastian to start testing his blood after every travel to and from Dobria. The level of copper in his blood was increasing after every trip. The rising level was not toxic. It did explain the advantageous capabilities that Sebastian was gaining as the level of copper increased within his body.”
    For a moment, I consider my experiences of speed and strength while running in the woods last week.
    Why would my levels be heightened, though?
    I put that thought in the far corner of my mind. I don’t know if I did it out of pure denial or overwhelming fear.
    I question Ezra, “How was he getting increased levels of copper in his bloodstream?”
    Ezra replies, “Sebastian discovered that the more connected his body became to the Copula, the more smooth the entrance and exit from the wormhole. He decided that a second generation Copula needed to be engineered as an implant. A battery would be inaccessible and unnecessary upon implantation.”
    Ezra blows out his lower lip and tousles his hair; a small idiosyncrasy that clued me in that his stress level was increasing.
    Ezra knows my question before I ask.
    How would he use the defibrillator to start the Copula then?
    I suck in my breath, realizing what Sebastian was doing.
    Oh!
    “He electrocuted himself!”
    Ezra leans forward in his seat. “Well, yes and no. Think of the second generation Copula in terms of a modern-day pacemaker that needs to be charged at times. All of his vitals were monitored as a safety precaution. The charge initiated the electromagnetic propulsion in the Copula. His body only reacted to the Copula, not the charge. The Copula’s release and synthesis with Sebastian’s body was much greater with this generation. It also increased the Copula’s release of copper residue into Sebastian’s body after each travel, thus the increase of copper within him.”
    Ezra leans back in his seat. “Sebastian knew he needed more minds to filter through the immense amount of discoveries he had encountered up to this point. He handpicked close and trusted colleagues and associates he had known for years to begin traveling with him. These colleagues needed to have respect for the necessary balance of science, humanity, spirituality and nature.
    “Sebastian wanted a variety of associates to explore, discover, analyze, and develop Dobria. The list included biologists, botanists, geologists, and scientific engineers just to name a few of the credentials. He also made sure the people he had chosen were agreeable to the inevitable plan, which was to eventually live, develop, and fully experience the superior capabilities and advantages that came with living there. Only those that agreed to the plan were implanted with the Copula.”
    Ezra pauses and looks at me for a long time, silently.
    I become self-conscious. “What?”
    He continues, “Nothing. There was one day, one event, which changed everything. That very moment in time shifted everything for the Onoch family and the cosmos.
    “Caleb and Balthazar were in London attending University. Balthazar decided to come home for a surprise visit during fall session break. Balthazar had followed in his father’s footsteps. He had received accolades for his past and current dissertations as a budding physicist. He had just been awarded an internship with NASA in the States and was eager to tell his father. Balthazar was always seeking acceptance through Sebastian’s eyes, which could sometimes be perceived as an aggressive and competitive nature.”

Chapter 14
    Balthazar entered the Onoch Estate.
    “Hello? Miss Sasha? Mr. Edmond?”
    He walked into the lounge.
    “Father, are you here?”
    Balthazar slowly approached the lab outside of the main house. Even though this area was off limits to Balthazar as a child, he was an adult now. Part of